Drier.



0. c. McCORMICK.

' DRIER.

v v APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2 I9I8. r 1,288,242, Patented 001;. 29, 1918.

O. C. McCORMICK.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2, I918. 1,283,242., Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

awva'wtoz i vmmic 7 aftoznu 0. C. McCORMICK.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2, 1918.

1,283,242., Patented 001;. 29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEl 3.

OSCAR C. MCCORMICK, 01E CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DRIER.

Application filed March 12, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR O. MCCORMICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland,in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in driers primarily designed for use in connection with the drying of articles from plastic clay. The object of the invention is to provide a novel construction for a drier wherein the articles are carried through a circuitous path a larger portion of which is arranged horizontally of the same, and so arranged that the green and undried plastioarticles are gradually carried from the cooler portions of the device towardthose portions where heat is greater before their removal. A further object of the invention isto provide a drier provided with a plurality of parallel supporting chains all of which are arranged to move in parallelism and in unison, each provided with novel supporting carriers for holding the molds containing the articles to be dried in position securely during their passage through the device. The device is furthermore provided with an opening at one end which permits the loading of the carriers and an opening at the opposite end through which molds containing dried articles. may

be removed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but

it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings in which similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the different figures,

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the left in Fig. 2.

: Specification of Letters Patent.

any suitable or desired material.

'wall 4 is provided with an opening 7 and strengthening the entire structure.

Patented (lot. 22, 1918.

Serial No. 221,883.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the chains, its supports and a carrier mounted thereon, and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a carrier showing one of the sprocket wheels about which the chains move.

Referring to the-drawings in detail it may be stated that the device embodies an outer casing comprising an upper wall 1, side walls 2 and 3, end walls 4 and 5 formed of The end the end walls 5 with an opening 8. The opening '7 is designed as a loading openmg through which the green ware is introduced to the drier and the opening 8 is an unloading opening through which the dried ware is removed. The upper wall 1 is provided with an uptake flue 6 through which passes the extracted moisture from the drying articles.

The structure just described incloses the mechanism for conveying the molds and the articles therein through a circuitous passageto permit of their being properly and evenly dried and this mechanism embodies a frame work comprising at the left in Fig. 1 a pair of upright standards 9 and 10 in transverse alinement and connected for strengthening purposes by a bar or pipe 11. At the opposite end of the device are a pair of complemental standards 12 and 13 which are also connected by a bar or pipe 14. Extending between the bars 11 and 14: are longitudinal bars 15 and 16. Arranged in longitudinal alinement with the standards 10 and 13 are standards 17, 18 and 19 and on the opposite side are similar standards 20, 21, and 22, the standard 17 being transversely opposite to the standard 20, the standard 18 being opposite to the standard 21 and the standard 19 opposite to the standard 22. The standards 17 and 20 are respectively connected to the standards 10 and 9 by braces 28 for stifi'enin and n the left faces of the standards 9 and 10 are brackets 24 in which is mounted a rotatable two of which are disposed near the standards 9 and 10 respectively and one centrally.

Near the lower portion of the standards 9 mounted three sprocket wheels similarly dis posed to the sprocket wheels 26 and furthermore provided with bearings for shafts 33, 34, 35 and 36 each of which bear sprocket wheels corresponding in position to" the sprocket wheels 26. The standard 13 is provided with journaled brackets for shafts 37, 38, 39 and 40. The shaft 36 outside of the frame is provided with two pulleys 41 over each-of which extends a belt 42 by which the shafts 36 are rotated. It will be noted that each of the shafts before mentioned are equipped with three sprocket wheels one centrally disposed and the other two positioned near the sides of the frame and the members of each series of each shaft are in longitudinal alinement and extending around each series of sprocket wheels are sprocket chains 43 so that as the function and operation of all of the sprocket wheels are identical a description of the operation of one sprocket chain and the sprocket wheels on which it is mounted is believed to be sufficient for the understanding of them all. The sprocket chain on the shaft 31 passes around the sprocket wheel on the shaft 36 and around a similar wheel on the shaft 31 and then upwardly past the opening 8 over the wheel on the shaft 30 around the sprocket wheel 26 and around the sprocket wheel 29 and from thence over the sprocket wheels on the following successive shafts: 32, 37, 3'3, 38, 34, 3-9, 35, 40 and back'to the sprocket wheel on the shaft 36 thereby making an endless element which is moved by the rotation of the shaft 36. It will-of course, be obvious, that all of the sprocket chains are moved in unison with the one just described.

Extending between the uprights 17 and 20 and also between the uprights 18 and 21 and between the uprights 19 and 22 are support ing bars 44 and asthey are all Similar and perform similar functions a description of one is believed to be sullicient for all. These bars 44 constitute supports for sustaining the horizontal portions of the chains 43 dur-,

ing their horizontal movement. Mounted on each bar 44 are upright brackets 45 on each of which is mounted an l..-shaped channel iron 46 secured in position by means of holding rivets 47 and these channel irons 46 are adapted to lie in the path of and support the under face of the chains 43 during their horizontal movement. It will be apparent that there is onebracket 45' on each rod'44 beneath each of the chains to support one of the channel irons 46 in proper position to sustain the weight of the chain and the load imposed thereon. The chains 43 are of the usual link belt variety-the links of which are connected by the ordinary rivets 48 and at regularly recurring intervals in this belt are positioned elongated pins 49 on which are mounted, on opposite sides'of the belt, lL-shaped hangers 50 to which are secured by bolts or other holding means 51 lJ-shaped mold carrying arms 52' of suitable conformation to hold molds 53 each .provided with an offset portion 54. Suitably supported near the-bottom ofthe entire; structure is a steam coil 55 to which live steam is supplied for heating the drier and drying the articles carried therethrough. The molds 53 are placed on the U-shaped carriers-as the latter pass in front of the opening 7 and from thence follow the ,cir-

cuitous path of the chains 43 and it will be noted that they gradually, during their progress, approach the steam coil 55 where the heat is most intense and upon'leaving this portion of the drier they pass in front of the opening 8 at which point the molds with their dried products are removed. It

the pins 49 which support the U-shaped car- J riers are separated'witlely enough to avoid interference with the various channel irons 46 during the passage of the chains over these supporting mediums.

claim, I r l. A drier embodying an outer casing comprising an upper, end and" side walls, said upper wall provided with an ofitake' flue, one end wall having a loading opening and'the other an unloading opening, a frame in said casing, saidjfraine consisting of a. plurality of uprightstaudards arranged in pairs, bearings on a portion of said standards transversely arranged, shafts mounted in said bearings, a plurality of sprocket wheels on said shafts, the sprocket wheels on each shaft being positioned in longitudinal' alinement with similarly disposed sprocket wheels on the other shafts, a major portion of the shafts at oneend being in the same horizontal plane as the complemental shafts at the opposite end, bars exrunning on the tending between various pairs of transversely opposite standards, a chain support mounted horizontally on the various bars,

a sprocket chain extending around each set of sprocket wheels and mold carriers mounted on each chain.

2. ,A' drier embodying an outer casing.

each shaft being positioned in longitudinal alinement with similarlv disposed sprocket wheels on the other shafts, a major portion of the shafts at one end being in the same horizontal plane as the complemental shafts at the opposite end, bars extending between transversely alined pairs of standards, brackets on said bars, horizontal chain supports mounted on said brackets, sprocket chains sprocket wheels on the various shafts and over said supports, and mold carriers comprising a pair of laterally and downwardly extending arms terminating in U-shaped holders mounted on said sprocket chains and arranged to straddle said chain supports during their passage on said chains thereover. 7 7 r 3. A drier embodying an outer casing comprising an upper, endand side walls, saidupper wall provided with an oiftake flue, one end wall having a loading opening and the other an unloadingopening,-a frame in said casing, said frame consisting of. a plurality of upright standards arranged in pairs,

longitudinally alined bearings on a portion of said standards, transversely arranged shafts mounted in said bearings, a pluralityof sprocket wheels on said shafts, the sprocket wheels on each shaft being positioned in longitudinal alinement with similarly disposedsprocket wheels on the other shafts, a major portion of the shafts at one end being in the same horizontal plane as the complemental shafts at the opposite end, bars extending between the various pairs-of transversely alined opposing standards, brackets clamped to each bar and extending upwardly therefrom, horizontal chain supports mounted on each set of longitudinally alined set of brackets, sprocket chains arranged to extend around said sprocket wheels and ride over said supports, a mold support embodying a pair of oppositely disposed downwardly and laterally extending arms terminating in U-shaped mold engaging ends arranged to straddle said sup- .ports during the passage of the chains thereover. I e

4:- A drier embodying an outer casing provided with a loading and an unloading opening at opposite ends thereof and an ofltake flue therefrom, a frame in said casing, means to mount a plurality of sprocket chains for extending'in a sinuous path horizontally of said drier, means to heat said drier, bars extending transversely of said frame, brackets on said bars, chain supports on said brackets arranged in the path of said sprocket chains, and mold supports comprising oppositely disposed laterally depending arms arranged on opposite sides of said chains and terminating in Ll-shaped mold gripping arms substantially as shown and described. e V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set nf hand.

y USCAR C. MGGORWCK. 

